Fodor's may use your email address to send you relevant information on site updates, account changes, and offers. For more information about your privacy and protection, please review our full Privacy Policy.

That's a great idea, sending your itinerary to your email for access. Though internet access is usually available, just in case, I'd carry a hard copy. What happens if you forget the address of the next hotel and you don't have access to the internet at that time? That would make me nervous, but then again we all do things differently, and if this has worked for you before that's great. I can be a little over prepared sometimes.

Right, lyb, I do print out a copy of this information to take with me, but the travel email file serves as my back up. I also forward any correspondence with hotels, car rental agencies, etc, to the travel email address so I have them for reference just in case of a problem.

I think this is a pretty nifty idea and have passed it along as a travel tip several other times on fodors.

It is also convenient to have this info readily available in the computer to email to friends you may be meeting during your trip, or someone who may be kind enough to pick you up from the airport on your return.

I put one set of copies of passport/visa in my purse, seperate from my wallet.

I put the rest of the copies in the hotel in an envelope with my original ids & passport in the hotel safe. (unless the hotel requires that to be turned over until departure).

I always take 2 different credit cards and then 2 copies of my atm card. I leave one credit and atm card in the hotel safe, and carry the other set with me. My atm card pulls from a checking account that I opened up specifically for travel, ie it is not my normal checking account that I pay bills, buy groceries, have my pay check deposited into.

Think about it, if you lost your atm card or it was stolen and you had to close your account and open a new one....think of all the hassle trying to notify your those creditors that you pay electronically or your employer for payroll deposit. nightmares! I opened another checking account specially for travel and got atm cards for it.

why two copies of my atm card. In 1998, one of the parisan machines ate my atm card. I was able to get it back the next day but it was stripped. Since I had not brought my checkbook with me and only had my credit card, I was in serious financial trouble. it took 3 days for my bank to fedex me a rush card and then I had a devil of a time getting it authorized by phone.
Never again. If I taken an extra copy this would not have been a problem.

Now nothing would have helped if the card had been stolen, but at least I would have a copy that I could take to the bank.

I agree with erin's custom of photocopying your credit cards, front and back, and making sure that you have phone numbers to call if they're stolen. In fact copy everything that's in your wallet, not just credit cards -- your insurance card, license, etc. (I'm not sure whether those 800 numbers work outside the US.)

But DO NOT keep this photocopy in your checked luggage, since thieves with photocopies of your cards will have a great time with them before you even unpack and miss them. American Express, for one, has a number that's printed in ink on the card, that they ask about for extra secutiry since it doesn't appear on sales receipts -- but of course it would be on the photocopy.

TAKE 2 EXTRA color passport photos for each of you...In case your passport gets stolen, if you have a COPY of your passport and your PHOTOS, your passport can be re-issed at the AMERICAN EMBASSY within a few hours...Painless...

I've also been told it's a good idea to take a copy of your marriage certificate no matter how long you've been married. In an emergency, say a trip to the ER, you might have to prove you're the next of kin!